One reason for the nursing shortage is the change in generations: the baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 resulted in a large population increase through high birth rates, but the next 11 years, which produced the Generation Xers, saw a drop in the birth rate from 77 million baby boomers to only 44 million Generation Xers (Cooper, 2003). This resulted in a smaller entry-level population for the workforce. Also, nursing education has changed dramatically, with 40 percent fewer women choosing nursing as a profession since 1973. Nursing school enrollment for an entry-level baccalaureate degree program in the Fall of 1999 fell for the fifth year in a row. At the same time, the two-year associate degree program usually attracts students over 30 years of age, adding to the aging nursing population. The number of people entering this program has increased considerably, and many of these nurses have families already so wish to work shorter hours. Faculty members are aging too, and the average age of new doctoral recipients is now 45 years. Doctoral program enrollment has been flat since 1996, meaning there won't be enough professors to teach future nurses.
A further problem is the wages for nurses (Cooper, 2003). Wages for RNs only increased 3 percent between 1983 and 1991, and by 1994, wages began to fall. Managed care meant less need for nurses in hospitals, as many patients receive home care in this system. An economic recession also caused a decrease in wages for RNs, and since 72 percent of RNs are married, it is often assumed there is no need of wage increases since they have spousal support. With baby boomers nearing retirement age, and few new nurses coming up to replace them, there is a real crisis, especially among RNs with special skills.
The problem is that nursing is a 24-hour business, and shortages results in nurses having to work longer hours. Many nurses are leaving the profession because of this, or ...